Meta Product Design Interview: Explained by Ex-Meta, Google, and Amazon Senior Software Engineer

Summary

In this interview, Kashish Singal, a seasoned product design interviewer at Meta, offers insights into Meta's product design rounds. He clarifies the distinction between product design and system design, emphasizing the importance of API design and data modeling in product design. Kashish also discusses the expectations for E6 candidates to think beyond the immediate problem and build scalable platforms. He shares tips for acing product design interviews, including leading discussions and avoiding common mistakes like not detailing API responses or considering only basic technical issues without exploring business use case failures.

Takeaways

• 📚 Product design interviews at Meta focus on creating solutions within the product domain, not infrastructure.
• 🔍 A key difference between product design and system design interviews is the depth of detail on API design and data modeling.
• 🚀 To excel in a product design interview, candidates should aim to build platforms rather than point solutions.
• 💡 E6 candidates at Meta are expected to manage the scope of one to two teams, indicating a need for broader solution design.
• 🤔 Evaluators in product design rounds look for problem exploration, technical depth, and clear communication.
• 🛠️ Common reasons for down-leveling include not expanding beyond the problem scope, making blanket technical statements, and lacking leadership in discussion.
• 📈 Candidates should use data-driven decisions during interviews to justify their design choices.
• 💡 A unique tip for interviews is to prepare for behavioral questions and treat them with the same importance as technical ones.
• 🏢 The Meta onboarding process has been known to be unusual, with new hires sometimes spending extended periods without a permanent team.
• 🌐 The interview process is not always an accurate reflection of a candidate's abilities, suggesting potential flaws in the hiring system.
• 💼 Senior engineering roles often require a deep understanding of soft engineering skills, which are not always easily taught or learned.

Q & A

What is the main difference between a product design round and a system design round?

In a product design round, the focus is on solving the problem asked, sticking to the product, and not worrying about infrastructure-related things. It involves more detailed API design, data modeling, and a high-level design that focuses on product functionality and user interactions. In contrast, a system design round also starts with functional and non-functional requirements but ends with a focus on scaling, cross-data center applications, and global usability, which is often skipped or less emphasized in product design rounds due to time constraints.

How does Kashish Singhal define himself in a tweet-length description?

Kashish Singhal would define himself as a software engineer with a passion for cooking and an interest in amateur boxing.

What are Kashish's observations on the differences in engineering cultures between Facebook, Google, and Amazon?

Kashish notes that Facebook is aggressive in launching products, Google is aggressive in maintaining engineering standards or quality, and Amazon tries to balance both, which sometimes makes it hard to get things done on time. He also mentions that, in his experience, code quality at Meta (Facebook) is one of the lowest among these companies.

What is the significance of building a platform rather than a point solution in an E6 product design round?

Building a platform in an E6 product design round signifies the candidate's ability to manage the scope of one to two teams. It shows the candidate's capability to go beyond the problem scope and create a general solution that can be used across different applications or services, which is an expectation for an E6 level at Meta.

Why do some candidates get downleveled from E6 to E5 in product design rounds?

Candidates may get downleveled because they do not break the rules or boundaries of the problem, which means they do not go beyond the scope of what was asked and build a platform solution. Additionally, making blanket technical statements without proper justification and not leading the discussion enough can also lead to downleveling.

What is the role of API design in product design rounds?

API design plays a significant role in product design rounds as it requires more focus compared to system design rounds. Candidates are expected to detail their API responses, including success and failure scenarios, and discuss the data flow between different components of the product architecture.

How should candidates approach behavioral interviews according to the advice given?

Candidates should prepare answers for behavioral interviews beforehand and treat them as one of the most important interviews, especially at senior levels and above.

What is the importance of data-driven decisions in product design interviews?

Data-driven decisions are crucial in product design interviews as they allow candidates to use calculated numbers to make informed decisions about the technical aspects of their设计方案, such as the need for servers, database types, and scalability considerations.

What is the advice for candidates on how to handle their strengths and weaknesses during the interview?

Candidates should focus on showcasing their strengths by spending more time on aspects they are good at, like API design or high-level design, and minimize the time spent on areas of weakness, such as data modeling or choosing between SQL and NoSQL databases.

What is the common mistake that candidates make regarding API responses in product design rounds?

A common mistake is not specifying the API response, including what the success and failure responses would be. Candidates often describe the API endpoint but neglect to discuss how the API will respond to requests, which is a critical aspect of product design.

What is the advice for candidates on how to approach problem-solving in product design rounds?

Candidates should aim to solve the problem while also considering the broader implications and potential extensions of their solution. They should think about how their design could be used in multiple contexts or by different applications, demonstrating a deeper understanding and a more strategic approach to product design.